ADDLESHAW GODDARD EXPANDS MIDDLE EAST DISPUTES PRACTICE WITH NEW HIRE

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 26^th, 2023

Addleshaw Goddard has announced a key hire for the firm’s regional construction practice. Arun Visweswaran joins from Clifford Chance where he worked across both construction and commercial disputes, including technology-related disputes and advisory work.

Arun is the eighth new partner to join AG’s Middle East business in recent months as the firm looks to target growing market share, including through a new office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (the fourth in the region alongside Dubai, Oman and Qatar) and build on the 43% income growth delivered in the year ending 30 April 2023.

Arun has over 10 years of experience working in the Middle East and specialises in international and domestic arbitration with a focus on construction, infrastructure, and project disputes. Arun has worked on complex cross-border disputes under the arbitration rules of the ICC, LCIA, DIFC-LCIA, DIAC, ADCCAC, SIAC and ad-hoc arbitrations and has appeared as counsel before arbitral tribunals, the DIFC Courts and dispute adjudication boards. Arun also advises on technology disputes and risk advisory work relating to data protection and cyber security.

Welcoming Arun Visweswaran, Andrew Johnston, Head of Middle East and Asia, Addleshaw Goddard said:

“Our Middle East construction practice remains a top priority, and we are delighted to have Arun join AG to help us deliver on important and profitable opportunities in the UAE, KSA, Qatar and Oman.”

Arun Visweswaran, Partner, Addleshaw Goddard, added:

“I am delighted to join Addleshaw Goddard and to work within the market-leading construction disputes practice headed by Bevan Farmer and Stephen Burke. I look forward to working with the wider team and contributing my skillset honed over 10 years to broaden and galvanize relationships with existing and new clients.”

Arun is one of very few construction dispute lawyers in the Middle East market who are also qualified engineers, enabling him to understand both the legal and the technical issues in advising clients.

Moreover, his expertise in technology disputes and advisory work is an important selling point to construction clients who are increasingly deploying complex tech in large projects and in their supply chains.

Arun’s arrival brings the total number of AG partners in the Middle East to 25. Recent arrivals have included:

Sandeep Puri (from Baker & McKenzie) to lead AG’s UAE banking practice.

Philip Dowsett (from Dechert) to spearhead the launch of an Investment Management and Funds practice servicing clients operating to and from the Middle East.

Kellie Blyth (from Baker & McKenzie) who is an information technology, data protection, privacy and telecoms specialist advising multinational and regional clients on their MENA technology and data-heavy projects.

And four new partners ahead of the firm’s planned launch in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:

M&A partner Christian Both from Clifford Chance LLP and its KSA joint venture AS&H Clifford Chance, Banking & Finance partner Amar Meher formerly at Latham & Watkins, Ibrahim Siddiki who joined from Bracewell in Dubai, where he led the KSA corporate M&A practice, and Homam Khoshaim, an M&A expert formerly at Latham & Watkins.